County seeks nominees for 2026 Farm Family award

By Lethbridge Herald on August 28, 2025.

Nathan Reiter
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Lethbridge County is asking residents to come forward to nominate some of the best members of the community.

Nominations for the 2026 BMO Farm Family Award opened earlier this month. The award is presented annually at the Calgary Stampede to a farm family in Alberta.

Director of operations Ryan Thomson says farming is very important to the local economy. 

“Agriculture is a strong economic driver. It’s critical to the success of the overall region. This is due in large part to the contribution of farm families for many generations. Recognizing those families that have carried on this tradition and work ethic and commitment to the community is huge.

In order to be eligible for the award, the family must be actively involved in agriculture and derive a majority of their income from farming. THey must have family members living on the farm and reside within Lethbridge County. 

Nominees also should have a strong involvement within the community. Thomson says the award is made to highlight families who go over and beyond the normal call of duty.

“The award is more than just farming. It celebrates deep community roots and that commitment to keeping Lethbridge County one of the most productive agriculture communities in Alberta. I think one of the great parts about the award is the nominations should be from friends, neighbors and families, because most of these families that we would recognize as huge contributors, they’re not looking for any accolades at all. This is just what they do and who they are. Through this nomination process, that’s why I encourage people to highlight the people that they know in their community.”

Nominations can be made on the Lethbridge County website, lethcounty.ca. Thomson says it’s always a tough decision to pare it down to just a single family for the award. 

“It’s challenging. We’d love to give the award to everybody. There’s such amazing folks that contribute to our community. If you look at the long list of past folks that have been awarded this, it’s just a great heritage. To be a part of that is a real privilege and honor for folks.”